This invention relates to adhesive-type characters and, more particularly, relates to a plurality of separate adhesive characters forming a sign which may be simultaneously transferred to a receiving surface.
Various type adhesive signs are known in the art. Some of these signs are printed on a material on which an adhesive is placed for applying to a surface. In this case, the sign and the material on which it is placed, is simultaneously secured to the surface. Alternatively, individual letters are provided with an adhesive backing for attachment to a surface to form a sign. However, the difficulty of the latter type adhesive signs is that it is a time-consuming, difficult procedure to form a sign. Various patents have provided for alignment devices for aligning one character adjacent to another, but, in any event, the formation of a sign is a slow, cumbersome procedure. Not only must each letter be aligned horizontally with another, the proper spacing between each letter must be determined before they are fixed to the receiving surface.
One such prior art device is comprised of three layers forming separate characters with alignment tabs formed in the layers. The three layers are formed of the material forming the character and adhesive backing, and a covering material. The individual character is then outlined on the material and cut through the three layers. The backing material covering the area forming the character, is removed and the character applied to a receiving surface. Separate characters are then aligned by utilizing the tabs to form a sign. The non-sign forming material is then stripped away leaving the character properly aligned on the surface. Obviously, such an arrangement is fraught with difficulties in formation of a sign. The backing material secured to the adhesive, however thin, may prevent the character itself from securely adhering to the surface. Thus, when the non-character material is peeled off, the character itself may come with it. Additionally, such an arrangement clearly will present problems with characters having a center area completely surrounded by the outline of the character which must be removed. It would appear that these individual enclosed areas of formed characters would have to be separately removed after formation of a sign. This adds to the time and difficulty in formation of a sign.